There comes a time in every Pinoy cyclist’s life when you have to bike to the country’s capital city,
Manila.
This comes as a particularly tough challenge for me since I live in Cavite, and Manila is around 24 kilometers from our house. But this isn’t a challenge for the many construction workers that bike between Manila and Cavite to work on various infrastructure projects in the city.
I’ve seen some of these folks during my daily commute to the capital. Most of them use mountain bikes given the bumpy conditions of roads leading to Manila, while a handful are in hybrids and road bicycles. It’s their daily ordeal the basically inspired me to purchase my bike, Red. Their bicycles cost around ₱2,000 to ₱4,000 but are very much dependable in different road conditions.
From following them, I’ve learned that the usual route they take is through Las Piñas and Parañaque via Quirino Avenue. Of particular use to these cyclists is the Enrique Factor Road, a narrow passageway that passes under the Don Galo Bridge of the CAVITEX in Parañaque and connects Quirino Avenue to Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard.
THROUGH LAS PIÑAS AND PARAÑAQUE
I took on the challenge of cycling the Manila-Cavite route one cloudy December day in 2014. Red was relatively new back then, having been purchased just a month before. I wanted to test if it was possible to bike going to my work in Manila and back.
From Bacoor, I entered Las Piñas and Quirino Avenue via the Zapote Bridge. The Las Piñas section of this road has two lanes and is asphalted, but it gets even narrower because of the many vehicles parked on the side of the road. It passes through much of what was Las Piñas during the Spanish Era. Among the typical landmarks are the St. Joseph’s Church (home to the Las Piñas Bamboo Organ), the Plaza Real where the town hall used to be before it was transferred in Barangay Pamplona, and Plaza Quezon, the center of Christmas lantern-making in the city.
The section of Quirino Avenue along Parañaque is no different from the Las Piñas section. The road is literally a headache in front of the Parañaque Public Market near St. Paul’s College and St. Andrew’s Church because of the heavy traffic in the area. After crossing La Huerta Bridge, take a left turn at the first corner, which is Balagtas Street. It leads to the Don Galo Barangay Hall and Plaza as well as the Chinese Temple. This where Enrique Factor Road starts and leads to Macapagal Boulevard.
Given that two major churches (St. Joseph’s Church and St. Andrew’s Church) are found along Quirino Avenue, the road experiences heavy traffic buildup on Sundays. To avoid this, an alternative route is through the C5 Extension Road and the Ninoy Aquino Road. This route is wider as it passes through a four-lane, cemented road, but vehicles tend to be faster here so take extra caution.
The C5 Extension Road starts in Pulang Lupa, Las Piñas where it connects with the CAVITEX through a newly opened exit. Among the familiar landmarks include the Villar Sipag Center, the St. Exequiel Moreno Church, and SM Sucat, where the road connects with Ninoy Aquino Road.
Biking along C5 Extension is a breeze given that there aren’t a lot of establishments yet along it. But it’s quite the opposite when you reach Ninoy Aquino Road. With the many informal settlers living along it, the road is notorious for numerous parked cars and business establishments that occupy the road’s outer lane and sidewalk. Occasionally, you’ll find a few pieces of broken glass, perhaps leftover from the roadside drinking sprees common in these communities, so steer clear of it. You’ll get to pass by the famous Air Force One nightclub and the Dampa Seafood Restaurant.
You can reach Don Galo from Ninoy Aquino Road by taking a left turn at J. P. Rizal Road just in front of Duty Free Mall. This connects Ninoy Aquino Road with Quirino Avenue. From here, bike a few meters southbound and turn right to Balagtas just before you reach La Huerta Bridge.
Once at Enrique Factor Road, just follow the road as it passes under CAVITEX and connects with Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard.
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The Manila Baywalk, taken during my first Cavite-Manila
bike ride in 2014. |
MACAPAGAL BOULEVARD AND THE MOA LOOP
Now, Macapagal Boulevard opened in 2002 with a whopping price tag of more than P800 million and yet it is already in dismal condition. The asphalt has eroded leading to bumps and cracks, particularly in the section where the NAIA Expressway is being built up until you reach past City of Dreams. The constant exposure to the elements and the high volume of vehicles passing in the area are probably the causes.
The road was equipped with street lights that were installed by PAGCOR, but some sections of the road are completely unlit at night, especially between ICON Hotel and the decrepit Uniwide Coastal Mall. So bring ample lighting and wear a reflective vest just in case you find yourself in that section at night.
From Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard, I took a left turn to Coral Way and entered the SM Bay City where much of the SM Mall of Asia complex stands. On weekends, this road is filled with all sorts of cyclists — professional racers, mountain bikers or even cyclists who just want to stay fit. This road, all the way through Seaside Boulevard, J. W. Diokno Boulevard, the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Manila Baywalk becomes their playground.
During the summer, the area also known as the MOA Loop becomes a usual staging ground for various running and cycling events such as Alaska Cycle Philippines. The area is so popular among bikers that there’s even a Biker’s Café at the San Miguel by the Bay along Seaside Boulevard.
MANILA VIA CCP AND BAYWALK
A few minutes from the MOA Loop is the Cultural Center of the Philippines, which is another bikers’ haven. The newly renovated sidewalks in the area are perfect of sidewalk biking. These sidewalks aren’t made of bricks; its intricate patterns were “stamped” on the concrete during construction, so the surface remains even and level. It’s easy going up and down these sidewalks courtesy of the PWD access ramps that connect each sidewalk section.
Reaching Roxas Boulevard, I made it point to try the newly renovated Manila Baywalk. The renovation, which at that time was being done in preparation for Pope Francis’ visit to the Philippines, featured bike lanes, lush greenery and more than ample seating areas.
Unfortunately, biking along the newly renovated Baywalk isn’t as convenient as the MOA Loop or the CCP. The bike lane has sections that aren’t paved, particularly in front of the Manila Yacht Club, so I had to stray away from the bike lane and into Roxas Boulevard. Some parts are also blocked by the huge banyan trees and concrete bases where the colorful lights of the Baywalk used to stand and has since been removed. Hence, if you’re biking in the area, do so in a manageable speed so that you can steer clear of any obstructions along the bike lane.
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Taking the obligatory photo with my bike
in front of the Rizal Monument. |
I heaved a sigh of relief upon reaching Luneta Park. It took me three and a half hours to complete the entire ordeal. My daily commute is still faster at an hour and a half to two hours maximum. Nevertheless, I proved that I can indeed take my bike to work if perhaps I left home earlier. After a two-hour rest at our office, I took the same route going home and arrived around eight in the evening.
In the end, it was a dusty, smoggy, grimey, butt-pinching ride between Cavite and Manila. I’d be happy to put my bike under a bus the next time I’d think of biking to the capital city again!
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